Security and hospital officials say the bomber detonated the vehicle — an oil tanker laden with explosives — late on Wednesday night. Three policemen are among the dead while the rest were civilians. A number of policemen were also wounded.

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No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but the Islamic State group has carried out similar attacks as their territorial hold in Iraq weakens.

Iraqi forces are fighting IS in western Mosul, where some 2,000 IS fighters are launching fierce counterattacks. After launching the operation to retake Mosul in October, Iraq declared eastern Mosul liberated in January.